Tuesday, March 18, 2014

It looks as if changing the calendar from winter to spring won't make much of a difference in the weather across the Carolinas and the rest of the eastern United States.

In fact, several computer models are predicting a storm system next Monday and Tuesday that could bring more wintry precipitation to the Carolinas. In case you're keeping track, that would be several days after the official start of spring at 12:57 p.m. Thursday.

It's starting to appear as if spring -- sustained spring, not the pattern we've seen, with a few days of 70 degrees followed by 30s -- won't be coming to the Carolinas anytime soon. Brace yourself for a possible continuation of March's nasty weather into April.

Both the Global and European models are showing the storm system, and they also show yet another intrusion of very cold air into parts of the Southeast.

Remember the whole thing about the Polar Vortex back in January?

Well, the pattern really hasn't changed a lot. Very cold high pressure has taken up residence for the last few months over the northern United States, from the Great Lakes to the East Coast. On occasion, high pressure relaxes its grip, and temperatures get mild for a few days in the Carolinas. Then it reasserts itself, and the cold air returns.

The problem has been worsened by a steady stream of low pressure systems which have moved across the Gulf of Mexico and through the Southeast. They've produced precipitation which has fallen in the cold air. The result: Carolinas ice storms, mountain snow, and heavy snow in the Mid-Atlantic. Up to 10 inches of snow fell earlier this week in the Washington area, threatening the blooming of cherry blossoms later this month.

So enjoy the 60s and 70s on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but be prepared for a return to the cold stuff early next week.

C. Bon is right. Just look through all these posts: continuous predictions of doomsday storms. If there are not any at the moment, he'll drag up old stories about hurricanes or tornadoes from decades past.

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About this blog

Steve Lyttle says growing up in northeastern Ohio, with its foot-deep snows and summertime severe thunderstorms, fueled his interest in meteorology. He has written about weather for 10 years at The Observer. Join the discussion about weather trends and weird weather events -- whether local or around the world.